Apparatus for the vertical transport of flat items

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for vertically carrying flat items including a housing, a pair of levers mounted within the housing and a handle mounted within the housing so that it engages the levers and displaces them into a closed position. The housing includes two halves which when joined define a recess for the insertion of a sheet of metal or the like. The housing is provided with side walls which have an approximate wedge shape in a direction toward the open end of the recess.

United States Patent 11 1 l I l I 3,756,645

Heinemann Sept. 4, 1973 APPARATUS FOR THE VERTICAL 3,318,630 5/1967Bryant 294/116 TRANSPORT OF FLAT ITEMS [76] Inventor: Helmut Heinemann,Roderberg 14, Primary ExaminerEvon C. Blunk I-Iagen-l-Iaspe, GermanyAssistant Examiner-James L. Rowland [22] Filed: June 2 1972AttorneyGeorge H. Spencer et al.

[21] Appl. No.: 259,030

[57] ABSTRACT 0 F A l t' [3 1 orelgn pp Ion Pnorny Data Apparatus forvertically carrying flat items including a June 5, Germany G o g, a p olevers un e he s g and a handle mounted within the housing so that iten- [52] :LS. Cll. 294/116, 294/104 gages thC levers and displaces theminto a closed posi tion. The o g includes two halves when 1 0 29 ljoined define a recess for the insertion of a sheet of 294/86 106 metalor the like. The housing is provided with side walls which have anapproximate wedge shape in a di- [56] References C'ted rection towardthe open end of the recess.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1930 Prelesnik 294/104 6 Claims, 3 DrawingFigures PATENTEUSEP 4191a SHEH 1 [IF 2 APPARATUS FOR THE VERTICALTRANSPORT OF FLAT ITEMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to transporting apparatus, and more particularly to anapparatus for transporting flat items, particularly metal sheets and thelike.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present inventionto provide an improved apparatus for transporting flat items,particularly metal sheets and the like.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide animproved apparatus for transporting flat items, the apparatus includinga housing forming an intake recess and provided with side walls whichare approximately wedge shaped in a direction toward the open end of theintake recess. These and other objects are accomplished by the provisionof a structure which includes a housing having two halves which whenjoined define an intake recess for inserting a metal sheet or the like.Within the housing two levers are pivotally mounted on verticallydisposed shafts. The levers are configured to include clamping jawportions and power arm portions. The power arm portions are providedwith wedge surfaces at one end thereof. A handle assembly which is alsopivotally mounted within the housing but on a horizontally disposedshaft is formed to include a two armed lever, and is engageable with thewedge surfaces to close the clamping jaw portions. There is alsoprovided within the housing helical pressure springs which are supportedunder pretension between the power arm portions and the inner wall ofthe housing to bias the clamping jaw portions open.

In accordance with a novel feature of the invention, thehousing isprovided with side walls which have an approximate wedge shape in thedirection toward the open end of the intake recess for inserting orremoving the metal sheets or the like. As a result of this improvementthe apparatus according to the present invention can also be used tolift a metal sheet to be transported and can be attached substantiallymore easily and comfortably to the edge portions of a metal sheetsituated in a stack, for example, than the known devices having ablock-shaped housing.

The use of housings of light metal, for example, is of particularadvantage if the opening edge portions of the intake recess end includeseparately fabricated, highly stable ledges fastened on the housing, theledges preferably being made of steel.

An advantageous and inventive embodiment which is particularly sturdyand simple to manufacture is char acterized in that the ledges areinserted into grooves disposed in the housing. The grooves areconfigured to conform to the shape of the ledges so that they can besecured thereto in a press fit manner.

An additional advantageous feature of the invention which particularlysimplifies use of the device especially when the device is used as alever is the provision of spring elements which act directly on thehandle assembly to bias a load arm portion thereof away from the wedgesurfaces. The arrangement of the spring elements is preferably such thata spring clip is supported on both sides of the handle with one arm ofeach spring clip supported by the handle and the other arm of eachspring clip supported by the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view,partially cut away, of a device according to the present invention forcarrying flat items, particularly metal sheets.

FIG. 2 is a plan view in cross-section of the device of the presentinvention taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating a further embodiment of aportion of the housing according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to a more detaileddescription of the various embodiments of the present invention, FIGS. 1and 2 show that the carrying device 1 comprises two housing halves 2 and3 which are connected together by rivets 4, 4. The rivets 4 each supporta lever 12 for pivotal movement. The levers 12 each include a clampingjaw portion 5 and a power arm portion 5' which pivot in a horizontalplane. Between the levers l2 and the inner walls 2' and 3' of thehousing halves 2 and 3 the rivets 4 have mounted thereon spacer discs 6which serve to position the levers 12 within the assembled housinghalves. The spacer discs 6 are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake ofclarity. The power arm portions 5' are provided with wedge surfaces 11.The housing also contains helical compression springs 13 which act onthe power arm portions 5. The springs 13 serve to bias the clamping jawportions 5 in an open position.

The assembled housing halves 2 and 3 define an intake recess 1' and ahandle receiving recess 1". The handle receiving recess 1" is adapted toreceive therein a handle assembly 10 in the form of a lever 8 which ispivotally mounted between the housing halves 2 and 3 by a bolt or shank7. On one end, the lever 8 is provided with wedge-shaped surfaces 9which engage the wedge surfaces 1 1 of the power arm portions 5' whenthe lever 8 moves vertically upwardly in the direction of the arrow Ashown in FIG. 1, that is, when a metal sheet is being lifted by means ofthe carrying device, so that the metal sheet can be pressed between theclamping jaw portions 5. i

For better handling of the lever 8, the handle assembly 10 is providedwith a sheath 14, for example, of rubber, the underside of which isprovided with recesses 15 and whose free end is preferably designed as aknob.

In order to easily lift a metal sheet or any other flat item, forexample, from a stack, the housing halves 2 and 3 have walls 16 and 17which are approximately wedge shaped in the direction toward the openingof the intake recess 1. The walls 16 and 17 are provided with leadingedge portions 16 and 17, respectively. When lifting a metal sheet orother flat item from a stack (not shown) the sheet to be lifted isaligned with the recess 1' with the leading edge portions 16' and 17' oneither side of the sheet. As the transporting apparatus is advanced toinsert the desired sheet into the recess 1, the leading edge portions16' and 17' are inserted into the spaces between adjacent sheets in thestack so that portions of inclined walls 16 and 17, shown in FIG. 2,contact sheets adjacent the sheet to be lifted, in the case where thesheets are relatively close together in the stack, and push aside theadjacent sheets. Continued advancement of the transporting apparatusinto the stack gradually further separates the adjacent sheets from thedesired sheet, while the latter is in turn received within the recess1'. In this way, the transporting device according to the presentinvention can be used with stacks having a wide variety of sheetspacing.

A pair of pretensioned spring clips 18 are disposed in the recess 1'' onthe bolt 7 to both sides of the handle assembly 10. These spring clips18 are supported with one arm thereof mounted in the housing half 3 andthe other arm thereof engaging the lever 8 so that the latter is biasedaway from the wedge surfaces 1 l of the power arm portions The clampingjaw portions 5 have clamping jaw inserts 19 of hardened steel withribbed clamping surfaces on their facing sides. These inserts 19 have acircular cross section and are pressed into corresponding blind bores 5"in the clamping jaw portions 5 and are secured therein with pins 20.

The housing half 2 is provided with a pin 23 which extends outwardlyfrom the inner wall 2 as shown in FIG. 1. The pin 23 serves as a stopagainst which the power arm portions 5' are biased by the springs 13.

In FIG. 3 an alternate embodiment is illustrated in which grooves 21 aredisposed in the housing halves 2 and 3 at the opening end of the recess1, and has inserted therein in a press fit manner ledges 22 of hardenedsteel. The ledges 22 serve in a similar capacity to the leading edgeportions 16' and 17'. One advantage of using separately fabricatedledges 22 has already been stated above, namely that the housing can bemade of a light metal.

It will be understood that the above description of the presentinvention is susceptible to various modifications, changes andadaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within themeaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for vertically carrying flat items, comprising a housingincluding two halves, means joining the two halves, an intake recess forthe insertion of a sheet of metal or the like formed by the joinedhalves, said housing being provided with side walls which have anapproximate wedge shape in a direction toward the open end of the intakerecess for the metal sheets or the like, a pair of levers, means forpivotally mounting the levers about vertical axes within the housing,each lever including a clamping jaw portion and a power arm portion, thepower arm portions having wedge surfaces at one end thereof, a handleformed as a two armed lever, means for mounting the handle about ahorizontal axis within the housing, the wedge surfaces of the power armportions being engageable with a portion of the handle to close theclamping jaw portions, and helical pressure springs supported within thehousing under pretension between the power arm portions and the innerwall of the housing for biasing the clamping jaw portions open.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising separatelyfabricated ledge means, and wherein the housing walls defining theintake recess each include an edge portion having fastened thereto in ahighly stable manner said separately fabricated ledge means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said ledge means arefabricated of steel.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the edge portions of thehousing walls are provided with grooves within which the ledge means areinserted, said grooves being configured to conform to the shape of saidledge means for securing said ledge means therein by a press fit.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising first springmeans and wherein the handle includes a load arm portion, and saidspring means act directly on the handle so that its load arm portion isbiased away from the clamping jaw portions.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising second springmeans having a pair of arms, and wherein said second spring means aresupported on both sides of the handle by the handle mounting means withone of said arms being supported by the handle and the other of saidarms being supported by the housing.

* III

1. Apparatus for vertically carrying flat items, comprising a housingincluding two halves, means joining the two halves, an intake recess forthe insertion of a sheet of metal or the like formed by the joinedhalves, said housing being provided with side walls which have anapproximate wedge shape in a direction toward the open end of the intakerecess for the metal sheets or the like, a pair of levers, means forpivotally mounting the levers about vertical axes within the housing,each lever including a clamping jaw portion and a power arm portion, thepower arm portions having wedge surfaces at one end thereof, a handleformed as a two armed lever, means for mounting the handle about ahorizontal axis within the housing, the wedge surfaces of the power armportions being engageable with a portion of the handle to close theclamping jaw portions, and helical pressure springs supported within thehousing under pretension between the power arm portions and the innerwall of the housing for biasing the clamping jaw portions open. 2.Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising separatelyfabricated ledge means, and wherein the housing walls defining theintake recess each include an edge portion having fastened thereto in ahighly stable manner said separately fabricated ledge means. 3.Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said ledge means are fabricatedof steel.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the edge portionsof the housing walls are provided with grooves within which the ledgemeans are inserted, said grooves being configured to conform to theshape of said ledge means for securing said ledge means therein by apress fit.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising firstspring means and wherein the handle includes a load arm portion, andsaid spring means act directly on the handle so that its load armportion is biased away from the clamping jaw portions.
 6. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1, further comprising second spring means having a pairof arms, and wherein said second spring means are supported on bothsides of the handle by the handle mounting means with one of said armsbeing supported by the handle and the other of said arms being supportedby the housing.